by Zeke Flores<\/p>\n
“So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh<\/em>” (Deuteronomy 21:9).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This verse comes from a section dealing with unsolved murder. \u00a0Israel was responsible for maintaining justice even when the offender wasn’t known. The community had to take action, acknowledge the seriousness of the situation, and demonstrate accountability. The point is that justice isn’t passive. It requires deliberate steps to keep a community healthy.<\/p>\n
We often think responsibility applies only when we directly cause a problem. Deuteronomy 21 pushes against that. Sometimes responsibility means addressing what’s broken around you, even if you didn’t create it. Doing what is right in God’s eyes includes stepping into situations that need clarity, fairness, or repair.<\/p>\n
In your own context, consider where you might need to take responsibility for something you didn’t cause but can help correct. It might be a relational conflict, a workplace issue, or a pattern that needs addressing. Deuteronomy 21:9 reminds us that integrity includes proactive action.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Zeke Flores “So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh” (Deuteronomy 21:9). This verse comes from a section dealing with unsolved murder. \u00a0Israel was responsible for maintaining justice even when the offender wasn’t known. The community had to take…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[354],"class_list":["post-97683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-responsibility"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":97599,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-king-must-read-the-law\/","url_meta":{"origin":97683,"position":0},"title":"The King Must Read the Law","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Zeke Flores Moses says the king must read the law so that \"... he may learn to fear Yahweh his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen\" (Deuteronomy 17:19-20). Deuteronomy 17 addresses\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":98511,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-your-choices-even-matter\/","url_meta":{"origin":97683,"position":1},"title":"Do Your Choices Even Matter?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Dr. Thaxter Dickey via InLight Media Are we really in control of our choices? Dr. Thaxter Dickey challenges our culture's assumptions about who we really are and helps us rethink how we view our decisions. What actually happens when we believe humans are only matter and forget we are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Video"","block_context":{"text":"Video","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/video\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":29648,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-justice-requires\/","url_meta":{"origin":97683,"position":2},"title":"What Justice Requires","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Micah 6:6-8 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The concept of justice is rarely applied evenly. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Justice is the quality of being right or proper. It carries the idea of fair and equal treatment. There is no favoritism with justice. People get what they deserve. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0People want justice when they\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":44574,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/god-and-the-problem-of-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":97683,"position":3},"title":"God and the Problem of Sin","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Titus 2:11-15 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0God\u2019s Nature \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0God is Holy - Isaiah 6:3 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There is not even a hint of sin in God - I John 1:5 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Evil is not a part of His nature, nor does He accept evil in others - Psalms 5:4 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a03.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0If we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7071,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-we-be-picky\/","url_meta":{"origin":97683,"position":4},"title":"Should We be Picky?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 50:7-23 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Jesus\u2019 condemnation of the Jews, especially the Pharisees and the Sadducees, is well-known \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Many Christians are rightly concerned that they not fall into the same trap that snared the Pharisees. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Often when it is pointed out that we should do things one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":97449,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/you-shall-not-act-like-this-toward-the-lord-your-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":97683,"position":5},"title":"You Shall Not Act Like This Toward the Lord Your God","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Zeke Flores \"You shall not act like this toward Yahweh your God\" (Deuteronomy 12:4). Deuteronomy 12 focuses on worship, but not vaguely. In Deuteronomy 12:4, Moses is referring to the casual, anything-goes worship practices of the surrounding nations. Israel wasn't supposed to improvise their own version of worship; God\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97683\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}